“Dr. Johnson’s addition to SAMHSA will bring a wealth of knowledge to the agency about substance use disorder treatment, management and systems of support – all key aspects of SAMHSA’s mission to reduce the impact of substance use and mental disorders on America’s communities,” said a SAMHSA press statement.

Johnson is currently the deputy director for operations of CHESS/NIATx, a research center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison that focuses on systems improvement in behavioral health and the development of mobile apps for patient self-management. She is also co-director of the national coordinating office of the Addiction Technology Transfer Center.

Previously, Johnson served for seven years as the director of the Office of Substance Abuse in Maine, where she provided leadership in identifying and treating the opioid epidemic. She also served as executive director of Crossroads for Women, a women’s addiction treatment agency.